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Claremont sex offender seeks early release

NEWPORT — A 47-year-old man convicted of sexually assaulting a developmentally disabled teenager wants up to a year of his prison sentence suspended for good behavior.

Barrett Hodgdon, of Claremont, who appeared in Sullivan County Superior Court by video Monday for a hearing related to his motion, is currently serving the fourth year of a five-to-15-year prison sentence at Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility.

In his motion, Hodgdon asked that the judge suspend up to one year of his sentence because he’s completed a sex offender training program. He wrote that he also has been on good behavior and has held a job while incarcerated.

But prosecutors objected to the request, saying that a suspended sentence was never part of Hodgdon’s plea deal and that he should only be released through the parole process.

During Monday’s hearing, Sullivan County Attorney Marc Hathaway acknowledged that Hodgdon has “performed well” in prison, but he noted that Hodgdon isn’t eligible for parole for another year and a half.

“This is premature,” Hathaway said.

He added that the victim and her mother are opposed to any amount of suspended time.

Superior Court Judge Brian Tucker had not made a ruling on Hodgdon’s request following the hearing Monday.